King Abdullah II made a rare appearance before the American public and accepted INFORUM's 21st Century award, given to outstanding young leaders shaping the future. Only 42 years old, King Abdullah II has continued his late father's commitment to a moderating role for Jordan within the Arab region, spearheading efforts to defuse the violence in Israel and Palestine and emphasizing to Washington the importance of finding a route to Middle East peace.

Shultz's biography includes: US secretary of labor, 1969-70; US secretary of the treasury, 1972-74; US secretary of state, 1982-89; Jack Steele Parker Professor of international economics, Graduate School of Business, and distinguished fellow, Hoover Institution, Stanford University, 1989- ; Chairman, Governor of California's Economic Advisory Board; Economist; Co-author, Putting Our House in Order: A Guide to Social Security and Health Care Reform.